Hook, Line, and Sinker
Usually, Cosette was up by the crack of dawn in order to attend to her chores. However, on this particular morning, she'd been too exhausted to wake up at her usual hour.
What eventually got her out of bed however was the sound of an enraged man in the dining room.
"Dieu, what's happened?" she wondered as she hurriedly dressed and sprang out of her room. To her horror as she neared the dining room, she realized that the voice belonged to none other than M. Gillenormand.
"My Marius, here? And neither of you told me!" the nonagnerian roared at Fantine, who stood ramrod straight in a corner.
"Monsieur, he explicitly told me not to tell anyone," Fantine said, raising her chin. "He was hiding, and he had nowhere else to go."
Cosette bit her lip. "Maman, don't lie, sil vous plait..." she thought as she tried to make herself inconspicuous.
"Oh, so he hides here when his precious Republic gets him in trouble?" M. Gillenormand muttered. 'There you go, Monsieur le Baron, the servant's quarters for your lodging? Say, how is the conversation there, so fitting with your strutting about with the Republic and your Jacobins, and you think you can hide when your father is upstairs, with his books? I haven't gone deaf yet, you insolent brat..."
It was at this point that Cosette committed the fatal mistake of letting the door shut behind her. Fantine barely flinched, while M. Gillenormand almost jumped.
The old man turned to Fantine, and his eyes were now cold though they glistened with tears. "I heard him talking to your daughter..."
"Monsieur..." Fantine begged.
"Nicolette, you and your daughter have an hour to pack your things."
"Monsieur Gillenormand!"
"Out!"
Cosette ran forward to steady her mother, who looked as if she about to faint. "Maman..."
Fantine met Cosette's wide-eyed gaze. "Get your things, cherie," she murmured, leading Cosette out. M. Gillenormand muttered something before pushing away the remains of his breakfast. The old man glanced towards where the women had gone before collapsing into his chair, burying his face in his hands as his shoulders shook with sobs.
000000
Jean Valjean was not used to harboring children in his flat.
Gavroche had been too tired during the night to do much else besides sleeping, but as soon as the boy had regained his energy, he was up to his usual mischief.
Valjean hurriedly put on his yellow coat as he watched Gavroche running about the small room, singing cheerily. The child was a pitiful yet comical sight in his oversized clothing and his bruised limbs.
"What will you do for the rest of the day?" Valjean asked him.
Gavroche stopped and looked up at Valjean. "Read? Go to the opera maybe?"
Valjean fished in his pocket for a few coins, which he handed to Gavroche. "There, stay out of trouble."
Gavroche looked at the money in his hands and his eyes went a little wide. "Monsieur, you think that smooth-faced student will tell Ponine where I am?"
"I don't know," Valjean answered gravely as he combed out his hair. "Not like it's any of my business." he thought.
Gavroche went to the window and looked down. "Say, I see my sister down there, with that Montparnasse," he said. "So he did tell her."
Before Valjean could say anything, Gavroche was already out of the flat. The old man followed him quickly out onto the street, which was starting to fill up with people. Valjean hung back to watch as Gavroche approached the two young people across the narrow walk.
Montparnasse was impeccably dressed as he leaned against a post, twirling a rose between his fingers. Eponine on the other hand was quite a mess; her hair was tumbling out of her hat, and her dress was creased.
"Why are you telling me this?" Montparnasse asked.
"Because you're my friend," Eponine said, her voice almost on the point of cracking. "Doesn't it worry you a little?"
"Why should it?"
"I thought you loved me."
"Once."
Gavroche, obviously unable to resist his curiosity, tapped Eponine's arm. "Ponine, what's happened?"
Eponine wheeled around to face her brother. "Vroche! You've been giving me a fright. What did you do that for?"
"I had to. But what's happened to you?" Gavroche asked. In the light, tearstains were becoming apparent on Eponine's face.
Eponine bit her lip. "Maman is not looking for you. And Papa told me this morning some news..."
"Which is?" Gavroche asked.
Eponine sighed. "I'm getting married."
